May 27, 2009 · Flooring

When you walk into a home, you will likely notice the color of the walls and ceiling and how well the floor fits with the room. But did you know that the floor type, especially a wood floor, can add ten times the value to a home over a trendy color of paint on the wall? Eventually you’ll probably sell your home and the investment you’ve made in your wood floors, both in money and time, will be returned.

If you’re used to carpet and this is your first wood floor you’ve had to care for, you will likely notice how often it needs cleaning…much more often than carpeted floors. It doesn’t attract dirt or dust more than carpet, it just has no where to go, unlike those handy fibers in the carpet. It doesn’t get dirtier, you just see it more. This is one reason wood floors are better for those with allergies than carpet.

The first tool you will need for cleaning wood floors is a broom and dustpan (FULLER Angle Broom or FULLER Household Broom and FULLER Upright Dustpan). Sweeping daily is not unheard of with a wood floor.

The second tool you will need for your floor is a mop. Depending on your preference, good mop choices include spatter mops and sponge mops (FULLER Spatter Mop or the FULLER Sponge Mop). Use the mop of your choice to soak up any liquid spills as soon as they occur. Wood floors, especially unsealed wood floors, will warp and stain very quickly if fluids are allowed to stand. When you mop with a wet mop, make sure the mop is rung out well.

You will also need just a couple cleaning chemicals. If your floor is unfinished wood flooring, you’ll want a mild, non-oil soap (FULLER Wood Floor Cleaner & Polish). For sealed wood floors or laminate wood flooring, you should purchase products specifically made for wood floors or multi-floor cleaners (Wood Floor Cleaner and Polish or FULLER Multi-Floor Cleaner). For those unexpected scuffs, scratches and tough stains, however, you might need to look into a cleaner designed for those difficult problems (FULLER Wood Floor Easy Clean Mist).

Some steel wool and a polisher (FULLER D.C. Polisher) will also come in handy.

·Sweep as often as needed, even daily

·Use a mop to get up wet spills as quickly as possible

·Mop with a barely damp mop and cleaner as needed

·Clean up exceptionally tough spots using one of the processes below

Even if you have taken great care to prevent water marks, furniture marks and sun bleaching, you will likely find blemishes on your wood floor from time to time.

To remedy heel marks, water stains, scuffs from dragged furniture, cigarette burns, ink stains and dark spots, use a mild soap formulated for hardwood floors (FULLER Wood Floor Easy Clean Mist) and steel wool. Apply a small amount of soap, rub with the steel wool and rinse with water, and then dry completely.

Chewing gum and wax can be removed by placing ice in a zipper-sealed bag filled with ice on the effected area for about 20 minutes. Deposits then become brittle and should break off. Multiple ice treatments may be necessary if the gum or wax area is large. Once the mass is gone, treat with a mild hardwood floor soap (FULLER Wood Floor Easy Clean Mist) and a damp cloth. Dry completely.

May 26, 2009 · Kitchens

When remodeling your kitchen the hardest thing to choose is a brand new kitchen floor. This is hard for many of us to determine because there are dozens of alternatives.

One of the best to install in the kitchen is laminate kitchen flooring. This is also considered to be one of the most commonly preferred that is installed not simply in the kitchen but also the bathroom. This type of flooring is that it provides people to be particular and diversified with the type of style and design that they choose.

Laminate flooring is available in a variety of colors, sizes, and trends. You will have the decision to combine and match the colours to produce a custom pattern of your choice. Several homeowners will merge two distinct colours in their kitchen to create a checkerboard design.

Some Other special thing about laminate flooring is that you have the ability to purchase it to copy the look of brick, tile, or wood kitchen flooring. This allows you to simulate the look of a amazing and high-priced kitchen without the cost of one. Real wood flooring might add more value to your home – but it is twice as expensive to purchase and to put in.

Laminate kitchen flooring is normally sold in planks and made up with many distinct layers. The first layer of the plank is a clear hard coating that will cover the pattern and look of the flooring. The maker will then merge the two layers together using a high density core. After this a backing will be placed on the plank to make it durable and able to withstand moisture.

Because laminate flooring is built to hold out against heavy wear and tear it is something that households love to use. It uses a special coating that makes it tolerant to both food and dirt spots as well as moisture. This makes it simple for you to clean messes up.

Numerous kitchen flooring types are challenging to put in and will cost you more money because you will have to hire someone to install it for you. Nevertheless, laminate floors are one of the simplest types to establish. That is why there are stores that sell do-it-yourself laminate kitchen flooring for householders trying to save some money.

May 26, 2009 · Flooring

?             GENERAL WOOD FLOORING INFORMATION



GENERAL WOOD FLOORING INFORMATION

Wood flooring is beautiful, timeless and natural. When buying a floor from Floor Variety, you can rest assured that your floor was processed in an environmentally conscientious and efficient manner. NMH performs the entire process from the forest to your home (harvesting, milling, kiln drying, flooring manufacturing), ensuring you the best Quality control

FACTS ABOUT YOUR FLOOR SOLUTION HARDWOODS FLOORING

Wood flooring is very sensitive to its environment, expanding or contracting according to the relative humidity of the room it is in. Narrow width floors show the least amount of movement, whereas wider width flooring will show the most movement. In order to keep your wood floor as stable as possible, the relative humidity of the house should ideally stay at 50%. If the relative humidity drops below 50%, the floor will shrink, causing cracks between each board in the floor. This is not a milling defect, but rather the result of low relative humidity. Over a period of time the wood floor will correct itself and expand to fit together tightly again if the relative humidity returns to and stays constant at 50%.

Cupping, or “washboard,” is another problem that can occur from unregulated humidity. The cause of this is moisture imbalance throughout the thickness of the wood. Cupping occurs only if the moisture is greater underneath the flooring than on top. To correct cupping, find the source of the moisture and eliminate it. Given time, the floor should correct itself once the relative humidity is stabilized. If the damage done was extensive, the floor might need to be re-sanded and refinished after the relative humidity is stabilized. Expansion, or buckling, is also a result of high humidity and may cause the flooring to push tight against vertical surfaces. To relieve, allow up to 3/4″ expansion space along walls.

To get the best wear out of your flooring finish, sweep and vacuum the floor regularly. Do not use strong soaps when mopping. Other preventative measures to keep from excessive wear is to put felt pads on the bottom of all furniture and make sure dog toenails are clipped. Vacuum all area rugs and the floor space underneath the rugs frequently.

All woods will darken during the six to twelve months after installation. Flooring under area rugs and furniture will not change at the same rate as the exposed flooring as long as it is covered. Moving rugs and furniture will correct any variations. All wood dents. High heels, dropped heavy objects, pointed furniture legs and the unprotected rolling of appliances can dent or gouge your floor.

SUGGESTIONS FOR INSTALLATION

1. Flooring should be installed on grade or above. Do not install below grade.

2. To avoid damage, make sure the floor is installed after all other construction is completed.

3. Before installation, check the moisture content of the sub-floor. The moisture of the sub-floor should be within 2% of the moisture content of the flooring to be installed.

4. A moisture barrier should be applied between concrete and the sub-floor.

5. Make sure the sub-floor is clean, flat and dry. Sand all areas that are not smooth and nail any loose boards. It is recommended that flooring acclimate to the environment of where it will be installed for approximately two weeks prior to installation.



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